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Nie Huaisang
Nie Huaisang (聂怀桑, Niè Huáisāng) is the current leader of the Qinghe Nie Sect and the younger half-brother of Nie Mingjue. Notorious for his incompetence, he is often nicknamed the Head-Shaker (一问三不知, lit. one question three don't knows) amongst the common people and cultivators alike. Appearance Nie Huaisang took care to dress stylishly, often adorning himself with rings of jewelry and carrying a paper fan. Novel, Chapter 69 His face was elegant and attractive, but his nervous demeanor shone through his facial expressions. Novel, Chapter 25 Personality Despite his intelligence, Nie Huaisang was a poor student, as he seemed unwilling to focus on tasks he was not interested in, including his saber and schoolwork. He preferred to use his intelligence on other area: such as painting fans, searching for birds, skipping classes, and catching fish. Novel, Chapter 21 Although he was mostly able to live life as a dandy while his brother led the Qinghe Nie Sect, Nie Mingjue died young, and the unprepared Nie Huaisang inherited their sect. As a result, Nie Huaisang's anxiety, helplessness, and over-reliance on the aid of Nie Mingjue's two sworn brothers, Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao, led to his infamy among both cultivators and commoners. As one commoner explained: "If he doesn't know it, he won't say anything; if he does know it, he's too scared to say anything. If someone asks too harshly to force him, he'd shake his head again and again while crying 'I don't know!' and then beg the other person to let him go." However, beneath his helpless exterior, Nie Huaisang possessed an extremely crafty mind and a strong loyalty towards his older brother. When he managed to track Nie Mingjue's missing body to one severed arm, Nie Huaisang showed himself to be well-aware of his limitations, as he recognized that he was not capable of suppressing its resentful energy or finding the rest of his brother.Novel, Chapter 109 However, he then set out to plan an elaborate and lengthy scheme that resulted in both finding his brother's missing body, the exposure of his killer's crimes and misdeeds, and the death of his killer. This plot revealed a cold and manipulative side to Nie Huaisang, as he willingly encouraged the mentally ill Mo Xuanyu's performance of the Sacrificial Ritual, repeatedly risked the lives of the junior disciples, the people of Mo Village, Novel, Chapter 109 and the children of Yunping, Novel, Chapter 107 and killed cats in a gruesome fashion. Novel, Chapter 109 He also used considerable acting skill to trick the merciful Lan Xichen into mortally wounding his best friend and Nie Mingjue's killer, Jin Guangyao. Novel, Chapter 108 Trivia *According to the author, Nie Huaisang will eventually take over the position of Chief Cultivator.Author Interview http://miststar.lofter.com/post/2fddcf_1103dd40 *Mo Xiang Tong Xiu originally planned to give Nie Huaisang an accomplice in his plan of revenge, but she eventually decided the accomplice was unnecessary. Author Interview http://miststar.lofter.com/post/2fddcf_1103dd40 *In Chinese culture, names often reflect the parent's desires or expectations for their child. The character 桑 sāng means mulberries. Mulberry leaves are grown and fed to silkworms to make silk of the highest quality. Farming is the work of the common people, but growing mulberries instead of essential goods like cotton suggest the wealth and security needed to indulge. Thus, it appears that Nie Huaisang's parents expected him to be someone who prizes simple luxuries and lives a comfortable, unambitious life. References Category:Characters Category:Qinghe Nie Sect Category:Male Characters